Chapter 2: The System Has Arrived
Chapter 2: The System Has Arrived
As Luke pondered, absentmindedly staring at the Pupitar hanging on the tree, a light screen suddenly appeared before him. The screen floated in the air, mysteriously following his movements as he turned his head.
"Hmm? What's this?"
The light screen continuously changed with symbols, like a waterfall, before finally freezing on an image of three rotating icons:
They were: [Status], [Bag], and [Pokédex].
Luke smiled. The law that every transmigrator comes with a system still holds true.
Skipping over the [Status] and [Bag] options, Luke focused his attention on the [Pokédex].
After a moment, the screen flickered and the following information appeared:
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[Pokédex]
Encounter Progress: 1/5
Battle Progress: 0/5
[Real-time Analysis]
Pokémon: Super rare- Pupitar (Male) x4
Level: Lv8
Type: Rock / Ground
Ability: Shed Skin (Has a chance to clear all status conditions, except for fainting, by shedding its skin)
Moves: Harden (Lv0)
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Luke understood right away that the [Pokédex] function was like the one in the anime or manga, displaying information about the Pokémon and their moves. However, since he was currently a Pokémon himself, the usual collection progress feature had been replaced with the somewhat mysterious "Encounter Progress" and "Battle Progress."
"Since I can see Pokémon information, can I see my own?" Luke wondered.
Shifting his gaze from the Pupitar, Luke looked down at himself.
To his surprise, as he focused on his own form, the [Pokédex] information disappeared and was replaced with [Status].
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[Status]
Pokémon: Elite - Riolu (Male)
Level: Lv5
Type: Fighting
Ability: Inner Focus (Cannot be intimidated)
HP: 27
Attack: 20
Defense: 12
Special Attack: 11
Special Defense: 10
Speed: 17
Special: ??
Moves: Quick Attack (Lv0), Detect (Lv0), ?? (??)
Evaluation: Agile and brave, a Fighting-type Pokémon with enormous potential.
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"Just as expected from a Fighting-type Pokémon, known for physical attacks and speed, these stats are impressive. But what are those question marks? And what does 'enormous potential' mean?"
Luke, a newly born Riolu, was filled with confusion from all the questions swirling in his mind.
"Is this all the system can do?"
He tapped the screen repeatedly, trying various angles, but the icons for [Status], [Bag], and [Pokédex] remained unchanging.
"Something like a negative energy lottery system, or a Pokéball-capturing system would be nice. But with just these options, it's basically the same as a game interface."
"Well, whatever."
After a moment of deep thought, Luke decided to give up trying to figure it out. He shook his head, setting all his questions aside for now.
He stood up from the grass and, out of the corner of his eye, noticed the Pupitar still hanging motionless from the tree. He couldn't contain his excitement and called out to the Pupitar, "Hey, hello there!"
"..."
The Pupitar, with its lifeless, dead-fish eyes, ignored him completely.
Even so, Luke was still bubbling with excitement.
He looked up at the deeper parts of the forest, feeling the powerful yet light body he now inhabited. He took a deep breath.
Suddenly, he remembered something.
"Since it's a new life, why not start this journey with a new name?"
"Riolu, riolu, Lucario, Li Ao..."
"Decided. I'll call myself Rio."
Luke—no, Rio—raised his right paw as if it were a sail catching the wind, ready to embark on a new life, heading toward the unknown.
...
Becoming a Pokémon was a completely new experience for Rio.
In the Pokémon world, there was a huge difference in size among the different species. Some were as tiny as flower petals, while others were so massive they could shake the very earth.
A typical Riolu stood around 0.7 meters tall, which was about the height of a one-year-old human child. Rio had roughly measured his own height to be around 0.8 meters, and his build was sturdier than he had expected for a Riolu.
At one year old, a human child's brain is still developing, preventing them from observing the surroundings clearly. Although Rio was also a newly born Pokémon, his body contained the soul of a mature adult, which made him more aware of his surroundings. Due to his lower vantage point, everything seemed much larger to him. For example, what would have appeared as knee-high grass to an adult was nearly overwhelming to Rio, and even the fruit trees that were already tall now seemed like giant structures, creating a massive visual impact.
Apart from the visual differences, Rio also had to adjust to his body structure. Unlike his human form, Riolu had two somewhat slender but incredibly powerful legs, and a tail used to help maintain balance. It took him a while to get used to this new body.
"So, what do I do now?"
A small dog-like Pokémon stood in the grass, pondering life as its tail swayed back and forth.
He didn't seem to have any great enemies or imminent crises to worry about, nor any unwelcome fiancées...
Wait, is there such a thing as marriage in the Pokémon world?
But no matter what, Rio felt like having a goal would be good.
His mind wandered to the powerful and dignified figures he had read about—beings like Mewtwo, Mew, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Rayquaza, Dialga, Palkia... even Arceus!
A sudden desire rose within him. He wanted to witness the legendary beings at the pinnacle of the Pokémon world.
"If I want to see them, I have to get stronger first!"
These legendary Pokémon possessed world-changing power, and weaker Pokémon wouldn't even be able to approach them.
So Rio decided that the first thing he needed to do was level up and increase his strength, before setting off to explore the grandeur at the top.
"But... how do I do that?"
His little head was full of worries.
"Growl..."
At that moment, his stomach growled, reminding Rio it was time to find some food.
He sniffed the air and caught a delicious scent coming from nearby. Following the fragrance through the forest, he soon came upon a fruit tree that caught his eye.
The tree was laden with large, aromatic fruit, each the size of a basketball. Some of the ripe fruit had cracks in their skin, from which sweet, fragrant juices dripped.
"Smells so good..."
Rio's mouth watered as he gazed at the delicious-looking fruit. Without hesitation, he climbed the tree with ease, grabbed a fruit larger than his head, wiped it quickly, and took a big bite.
"Wow~"
The crisp texture, the rich juice, and the sweet flesh made Rio squint in delight, and even his tail swayed happily without him realizing.
Not sure if it was the fruit's delicious taste or if Rio was simply too hungry, he quickly devoured the entire fruit. Unsatisfied, he reached out for another one.